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BUTCH COMEGYS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER U.S. Congressman Matt Cartwright is embraced by a supporter as his wife Marion gives a thumbs up after his victory on Tuesday night at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Scranton. In background are their sons Jack, left, and Matthew.

U.S. Congressman Matt Cartwright talks with a friend after his victory on Tuesday night at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Scranton. Butch Comegys / Staff Photographer

U.S. Congressman Matt Cartwright and his wife Marion greet supporters after his victory on Tuesday night at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Scranton. In background are their sons Matthew, left, and Jack. Butch Comegys / Staff Photographer

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U.S. Congressman Matt Cartwright and his wife Marion greet supporters after his victory on Tuesday night at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Scranton. In background are their sons Matthew, left, and Jack. Butch Comegys / Staff Photographer

SCRANTON — Moosic Democrat Matt Cartwright comfortably defeated Republican challenger John Chrin of Monroe County on Tuesday, earning a fourth term in Congress and a first term representing the new 8th Congressional District.

President Donald Trump’s endorsement and late-October campaign visits by Vice President Mike Pence and Eric Trump, the president’s son, proved not enough to carry the former Wall Street banker over the finish line in an election that many on both sides of the political spectrum considered a referendum on Trump.

When Cartwright entered the ballroom inside the Hilton Scranton and Conference Center on Tuesday night, supporters immediately hailed him with cheers and applause.

“I am thrilled to be representing the new fighting 8th District,” he said, with his wife, Marion Munley and their sons, John and Matthew Jr., at his side.

The congressman congratulated Chrin on a hard-fought race, a “tough and longer campaign than we’re used to,” and wished him the best.

With his re-election secure, Cartwright looked to return to Washington, D.C., with hopes of Democratic control of the House of Representatives.

“If we do that tonight, we start to balance the government down in Washington and do things like bring sensible infrastructure legislation to the house floor, pass it on the House floor, pass it through the Senate and put it on President Trump’s desk,” Cartwright said.

Cartwright also vowed to work to protect pre-existing conditions and Medicare and Social Security programs, as well as reduce the cost of prescription medications.

The 8th Congressional District includes all of Lackawanna, Wayne and Pike counties, roughly the eastern half of Luzerne County and part of Monroe County. The annual salary for a congressman is $174,000. The term is two years.

Cartwright’s biggest margin of victory came in Lackawanna County, where he lives. Unofficial results show he earned nearly 64 percent of the vote, compared to 36 percent for Chrin. Chrin won the majority of votes in Pike and Wayne counties.

For six months, Cartwright, 57, accused Chrin of wanting to cut Social Security and Medicare and questioned where the former Wall Street banker actually resided. Chrin, 55, said the congressman favored sanctuary cities and wants to increase taxes.

Chrin, who moved to Pennsylvania from New Jersey in 2017, met with his supporters Tuesday night at Skytop Lodge in Barrett Twp., Monroe County.

Chrin’s brother, Tom, watched early vote counts flash on a television screen in the lodge’s library. While early counts favored Cartwright, Tom Chrin expressed confidence that his brother would fare well in parts of the district outside of Lackawanna County.

“I’m thinking the four other counties ... outside of Lackawanna he’s going to be strong in,” Tom Chrin said.

About 10:30 p.m., John Chrin conceded the race. In his speech, he thanked supporters and told them they should be proud of what the campaign accomplished.

“Everyone knows I’ve never done this before. It probably won’t be the last time, either,” he said, eliciting cheers.

As he walked around the room afterward, he shook hands and offered well-wishes to his supporters.

“There’s no sadness,” he told them.

After his speech, he said he had no regrets about how he ran his campaign.

“It was focused on issues. And, this was not our night in this election,” he said. “But I can tell you there were some wonderful things. My daughter and I, Rose, my oldest daughter, she voted for the first time in her life today and she went and she actually voted for her dad. How cool is that? And I think that’s a wonderful thing.”

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